Karen day - Blood test - 80+F - slight breeze

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This is a picture from my 'most comfortable' chair.

Well - standing up from it actually, before some pedant quibbles.

In the very bottom right hand is the corner of the TV but often, if the tennis or the news is boring, I prefer just to look out of the window.

We began this morning with a routinely boring 'blood test' taken as a favour by my Obesity Clinic nurse as the regulars didn't have a slot. She told me interesting things about the bruising which sometimes occurs. Apparently, if the nurse manages just to go into the vein, rather than through it and the patient carries out the instruction to press hard on the cotton-wool swab, there should be no bruising. And today there isn't. It rarely happens to me but I know it does to some people. Apparently, if you don't press on hard enough the residue of blood seeps subcutaneously, giving the appearance of bruising.

After this we went to B&Q to buy a flange-nut because the one on the tap in Y's bathroom has disintegrated (plastic) and the hot water tap wobbles about in the air. I'll fix it tomorrow because I shall have to turn off the water.

While in B&Q Yvonne found this 'duck watering can' irresistible. It is for Millicent who likes to help her Mummy with the watering.

I tried to capture the water emerging from the duck's beak - this is my best effort and I hope it is visible.

Then we drove down to Nottingham so Y could book Pantomime tickets at The Playhouse which she did and got seats which suited. The Playhouse is just not possible for me due to the seating which is designed for able-bodied midgets. We sat outside for coffee and the place was quite busy with something to do with The Nottingham Festival 2009. Can't link you to it because I can't find anything. Perhaps it is only at the planning stage.

When we reached home Karen was just finishing and, as always, the house looked and smelled lovely and fresh.

My responses to your comments

Bob .... Thanks for the fungus identification. I felt sure you would know.

Your gooseberry crumble sounds good. Neighbour Betty just rang to say they have picked 40lbs of gooseberries from their bushes this evening - and did we want some ?? I must ask her if she needs a basil plant ?

Jill ..... You are quite right about my meal. The 'pudding' course was unnecessary. As the saying goes "Eye bigger than belly".

Wish you well with your search for a trolley. I recognise the problem with spilling. I used to be able to carry two mugs (or 3 pints of beer) without spilling a drop. Now delivering just one mug unspilt defeats me. As you so accurately said "This business of getting old isn't for wimps".

jbw ..... I'm sure Jill will find your 'House of Bath' online shop a satisfactory place to get a trolley from. Just to help, the above is a live link to it.

With regret I decided to delete your second comment, in accordance with the rules above the 'comments' box. I fear that, if I allowed it just once, it would open it up for people to return several times to the same blog-post. Sorry !


Yvonne ....... It is indeed a shame that the screeching grunters are wrecking Wimbledon for you.

And indeed that Murray's pained performance had a similar effect.

There was a fair bit of online comment about his complaints of sweating and being uncomfortable under the roof with the floodlights. According to the Wimbledon 'boss' they control the humidity very carefully and that, when the roof is in use, the Centre Court is in effect air-conditioned.

Please find above a picture of one yellow duck !

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Quotation slot .......

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability"

Sam Keen

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A 'mixed' day - very hot and humid - 81F - little wind

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A day of mixed fortunes, for me at least, fine during the morning and while Y was swimming I went shopping. I decided to check-out my dairy allergy and bought a 'creamy carbonara sauce' to accompany the second half of the fresh linguine. My eye was also taken by some fruit-on-custard and pastry tarts, for pudding.

At least I now know I'm not imagining it because immediately after lunch I was quite poorly - the sickness etc. and the churning stomach.

I dropped Y at the Hayley Leisure Centre at 10am for her morning swim. She did her 10 lengths and has decided that, rather than extend her distance, she will increase her speed. She followed it by 'steam rooom', 'jacuzzi' and 'coffee' and then walked home via The Headstocks.

While she walked off to the pool I sought and obtained permission at Reception to take a snap of their pond which is at the side of the old building and around 150 yards from the drive.

An excellent place for wildlife photography due to its privacy and lack of disturbance, I would think.

By the barriers on the drive is the stump of quite a large tree and the fungus shown was growing out of it very contentedly. Maybe Bob, or someone else can put a name to it.

After Y arrived after her walk home we went to Reuben Shaw's at Moorgreen to buy a few plants to populate the increasing number of empty spaces. The staff were as helpful and knowledgeable as ever.

My replies to your previous comments

Jill ..... Y feels the same as you about tents, and caravans. We who are nature's campers however, see it is a way of getting closer to nature and the pre-history days when life was more simple.

Re sheeps/cows/goats milk. Bob has fwd-ed a copy of an e-mail to you, where he goes into the subject in some depth. I can now only speak about the effects - please see above.

Bob ..... I can't quite work out whether or not your 'Arlene Phillips failing to impress' comment was as a result of hearing her on Desert Island Discs or not.

I never realised that Wensleydale was a sheep's milk cheese. I shall approach it with renewed interest. n Thanks for the info re Tesco and Goat's milk yoghurt.

Anonymous Peter Green ...... It would be nice to curl up in my herb-bed wouldn't it, with a cup of mint-tea perhaps and a chive sandwich.? Now 'twitch' in bed is not an unkown condition for me. Particularly when I can't get comfortable.

Our readers will be amused by your 'Love to you both' ending and will wonder which two. The largest numbers of readers I have had on a particular day was well over a hundred. My blogger.com stats system will tell me if I ask. Many people read it and never leave a comment which is absolutely fair enough. I love to get the comments and our regulars enjoy reading them and the sometime exchange of ideas, if a particular 'thread' is of interest.

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Quotation time ......

"There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling."

Mirabel Osler

"Sleep tight - catch you tomorrow"




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Nice Sunday - plenty 'kips' - jobs done - 75F - no wind

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Although suffering computer problems David managed to send me this picture this morning.

The children had been promised that everyone would sleep outside in the tent (Brooke excited since Thursday) and they managed to erect the tent in the rear garden.

Only just by the looks of it. As I said to David on the phone it resembles a space-ship forced to make an emergency landing. Anyway - it all went well. Unfortunately it was a dull morning and they didn't wake to the rising sun and the dawn-chorus. By the way, I asked David about maths teaching and our Lidl girl's problem with 4 x 6 = 24. He said children are still taught 'times tables' but perhaps, if one's career aspirations lie in the supermarket check-out line of work ...........

This morning we did our favourite Sunday morning routine i.e. stay in bed and catch up on Saturday's papers. I listened to Desert Island Discs where the 'marooned' was Arlene Phillips (of Strictly come Dancing fame) and I was very impressed by her, both personally and career-wise. If the Sun story that she is to be replaced on 'Strictly' by Alesha Dixon, a former winner, I consider it an ill-judged move. Alesha is a nice, rather silly young girl singer who couldn't possible bring to the show Arlene's depth of knowledge about Dance...........

As I have recently mentioned Fruit Salad I thought I ought to publish Y's extremely good and always successful 'Carse of Gowrie' recipe. But, as Jill says and Delia always tells you - "use whatever you've got available ....."

However, courtesy of Peter Kay :-

"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."

For lunch we had pasta (linguine) with a basic, tomato-ey sauce which worked rather well. For afters 'fruit salad'. This evening Betty brought us a bowl of freshly picked garden strawberries. The tasted great ....... after my tea of Rocquefort and biscuits. Rocquefort, recommended by Debra is a sheep's milk cheese and it packs sufficient clout to make up for anyone missing cows milk hard cheeses. The link is to it's Wikipage. Therein the word 'crumbly' is used. I certainly would not have chosen that word because my sample was almost spready with more the texture of a well-matured Stilton. Most acceptable though and I shall have it again.


When the sun started to go down and be less over-powering I went out and did some garden jobs.

There's a bed just outside the back door where Y has done all the hard work of cutting back and clearing. All I had to do was use a hand fork and trowel to make sure most of the twitch was out and then I hoed and raked.

The bed is now ready for planting and we aim to visit a garden-centre tomorrow to buy a few suitable plants. I stress 'suitable' because in wet weather the bed becomes water-logged and can stay that way for weeks. This is why the Iris Sibirica, being basically a marsh plant, has been so happy there.

Y tells me she can 'possibly' find me a 'window' prior to lunch. After swimming and certainly before the tennis, which starts in the afternoon.


Re the picture above - I think this single poppy arrived to thank me for tidying up her living quarters in the herb bed.

I know I ought to dig out the mint, replant it in a bucket or something, to restrain it because, in a week or two it will be all over the place. Such an invasive plant but so essential in the garden of anyone who cooks abit.

My replies to your personally crafted 'comments' which are so welcome each day

Bob .... I am pleased you find Lactofree so acceptable. I honestly didn't realise it was for you ..... we naturally assumed it was for Sandra. Also you were lucky to find their cheeses - Eastwood Morrisons haven't managed to 'have it in' yet, likewise the cream.

In any case I seem to be OK with the 'greek yoghurt' we get in Lidl ( in the cartons which resemble large tubs of emulsion).

Thanks very much for the kind offer for us to 'drop in' during Laxton trip. In the end we decided to give it a miss and have a 'rest day'. Albeit with jobs. Y is 'ironing' at this moment.

Lucky you with your goosegogs. As you know, for me, the pain if picking outweighs the joy of eating. Some of our raspberries are ready and yesterday we casually chucked a net over a few. However, the birds had beaten us to it. The blackbirds are the wortst offenders. A permanent 'fruit cage' is the answer really. Perhaps in our new house ........

So pleased also that your camera turned up. My life wouldn't be the same without a camera.

Yvonne ...... With you 100% about the arrival in the comments columns of Peter G. Our readers will enjoy his ascerbic mode and his sense of humour.

I think you were a little harsh on Chris Evert. I know you didn't really like her but I considered her a sound and talented player. Pretty frocks don't win you 18 grand slam titles !

Your report of the finale of Robin Hood astounded me. No deathbed scene where he fires his final arrow to identify where to dig his grave, and surrounded at his deathbed by Little John and Will Scarlett. I was amazed when you told me the Will Scarlett hadn't even been in it !

Jill .... You are probably right about School's preference to teach citizenshp etc., instead of 'times tables' - David's reassurances notwithstanding.

We seldom encounter the 'change' problem in Supermarkets because we always pay by debit-card. In our more normal local shops, the shopkeepers seem pretty nimble. Kumar and Rachel rpund the corner are quite sharp, (well it is their own shop) and ditto Paul the £1 shop equivalent up in Eastwood.

It is quite remarkable how well John McEnroe has transmogrified from loud-mouthed player into dignified and well informed commentator. We really like to see him now and he adds much to the game.

As with Y and dead-heading. I have this mental image of you in a floral frock, spready straw sun-hat. secateurs, and a wooden trug going round the roses in the evenings when the sun is cooler. It must be a proper wooden-trug by the way, none of this horrible green plastic rubbish !

Differently from you though, we both like the hot weather and it doesn't trouble me at all. As I have already mentioned somewhere, Yvonne considered the Tropical Biome at The Eden Project just about right !

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Quotation spot ......

"The Harvard Law states: Under controlled conditions of light, temperature, humidity and nutrition, the organism will do as it damn well pleases"

Larry Wall

"A busy day tomorrow - but sleep tight - and hope to catch you come blog-time"




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Nice Saturday - 72F - no wind - Shopping

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Picture 1 is a collage showing my herb bed and the bit of garden I am currently working on - slowly. At my rate of progress I should be all the way round the garden by 3rd May 2016. But of course we hope not to be here by then and I shall have another little bed to care for painstakingly. The clematis has been cut-back sharply where it climbs the garage wall and the grey stain on the brickwork is where most of the plant used to be. A few days rain and the bricks will all look the same colour.

The second picture is of a delicate pink rose which climbs the trellis which is at a right-angle and behind me where I stood to photograph the herb bed.

It's name eludes me but it has the look of a David Austin variety. I know his roses seem expensive but they are healthy, robust and repay you with years of vigorous growth.

His website, in which I have linked you to his English Rose collection, is pleasant to browse around. We just need the scents and perhaps a barely audible background of summer evening birdsong.

This morning we went shopping to replace essentials (I do seem to use a lot of this Lactofree milk) but we witnessed a 'sign of the times' incident in Lidl.

The lady in front of us had bought a whole tray of tins of tomatoes, 4 across and 6 deep. This was a problem to the check out girl who is programmed to deal with single tins. "There are 24 tins" said the shopper helpfully. The sum 4 x 6 = 24 defeated the cashier and she had to tap each tin with her forefinger until she reached 24. Goodness gracious me ! I think times tables must be frowned upon by current educationalists. I must seek David's opinion.

Y has watched some tennis, but didn't want to watch the women screechers and grunters (see her comment). At tea-time I sat and watched some of the Murray v Troicki match and I could see that Murray wasn't really being extended.

Tomorrow afternoon, depending on the weather, the tennis, my state of health etc., we may go up to Laxton because they are having an open day which Stuart Rose told us about when he came to do his National Trust lecture. Google however is a little tight-lipped about it and I'd better check in the morning. We shall be very close to Bob's but don't aim to call in because the arrangements are so unsure and neither he nor we approve of unannounced, unplanned visits.

My responses to your comments

Bob ..... As you say, we must agree to differ over the issue of flower shades. Same with painting really I think - I love strong contrasty colours.

Jill ... We are in agreement over hot-weather food. Fish seems right. Beef stew or Lancashire hot-pot would make the stomach turn, in contemplation alone.

Y has explained about my Van/Band error. I wasn't actually there and subsequently misheard her report.

Weather not right for Glastonbury - it's supposed to be torrential rain and mud !

Yvonne ..... Can't disagree about the women's tennis in general. But I think you are wrong about the style of game. I recall that women often stuck to the baseline and it was the men who went in for the serve/volley type of play.

I certainly don't remember any of the ladies you mentioned, or Margaret Court, Steffi Graff etc., rushing up to the net very much. Perhaps Billie Jean King did - I can't remember clearly enough.

Rob ..... As you say - technology marches on. I'm sure your ferry driver knew his way. Or perhaps he relies on his Sat/Nav.

Even though too short I'm glad you enjoyed your holiday and a montage of snaps will be most welcome.

Peter G .... Message received and understood. Over.

Well done. I'm real proud of you.

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Quotation time .............

"But he that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose"

Anne Bronte

"Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow"




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A good day - nice meal - good company - 68F

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My e-bay acquired lens cap arrived from Hong Kong this morning and I've been very satisfied with the transaction. I completed the purchase on 19th June and here it was. Item including postage £3.39p as against the official Nikon replacement at £8.89p from a shop or by mail order. And the latter would have attracted additional shipping costs.

An added attraction to the one I have bought, is the thread-loop to attach the cap to your camera to obviate future loss. Miss Wongrm can be assured of my future custom should the need arise.

We've had a lovely day. I didn't sleep too well and was in the garden around 6.30am doing some little tidying-up jobs. Then around 9.30am we went over to Peter & Joan's prior to going out for Joan's Birthday, to The Woodend at Huthwaite. Peter and I managed some time with his PC and I was able to help with a few 'workarounds' which will make his computing-life easier and more satisfying. In my opinion, at 80, he does remarkably well but what is more, he is eager to learn.

He went and collected Jean and we eventually set-0ff in both cars because it made sense for us to come home directly rather than drive back into Mansfield. Moreover, it allowed Y some extra Wimbledon time this afternoon.


When we got home I fancied a 'kip' rather than tennis, after which I watered and it is nice to see the first flower on my petunia hanging-basket - father's day prezzie from Long Eaton. Please see picture on the right.

We have some lovely coloured petunias. There is one in the front which is purple and white striped and looks really jazzy. I'm sure a snap will eventually surface. Y and I both like brash flamboyant flower colours, dahlias, petunias, and things like that. It says much about our 'common' tastes.

For tea Y made scrambled egg on ciabatta toast, with the two remaining eggs from Alex. She got the consistency just right and the beautifully rich yellow colour shouted 'home reared eggs'. They tasted great too.

My responses to your previous comments

Bob ..... I accept my mistake over the venue of Sandra's smoking problem. It just sounded like the same sort of place.

Re the entertainment. I am still trying to find out better particulars. Basically it was two blokes making weak jokes and leading community singing of songs like 'My old man said follow the band'. But I now realise that I have probably been too critical because I heard this morning that several people had enjoyed it very much.

The intransigence you encountered in Newark Morrisons is only too common and, if anything, is on the increase.

If Diogenes will permit me my laptop I would be more than willing to share his barrel.

Roy .... Ludlow is one of our favourite Shropshire towns, apart from the supermarket now plonked in the middle. Friends of ours live near Craven Arms and whenever we go we seem to have good weather.

Give my best wishes to little Basil and tell him I have every confidence in his ability to transcend these minor hurdles.

Jill .... No doubt the photographs have exaggerated the size of the garden. Whilst large it falls well short of 'grounds'.

I am happy to withdraw my remarks about 'entertainment suitable for an old-folks home'. They were unnecessarily discriminatory. Of course people are entitled not to be treated as if they are unintelligent and have lower standards. Sorry !

The Woodend Pub meal was fine, especially so considering that it is basically a £3.50p carvery. I asked for the 'vegetarian option' and was served, quite speedily, with a brocolli and brie bake, with which I had a selection of the veg from the carvery hotplate. No criticisms at all. Joan felt that the stuffing balls, stored on the hotplate and under strong lights, had gone rather hard-cased. None of us had room for pudding.

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Quotation slot .......

"........... second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything"

Shakespeare - As you Like It

"Sleep tight - I'll catch you tomorrow"
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A day of rest - Y at BJ 'grannying' - 72F - NE wind at 10mph

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Rather than spend a lot of time doing a proper panorama of the front garden I decided on a simple 'collage' which conveys the same information. As you can see it's been a lovely sunny afternoon and the 10mph North Easterly wind doesn't spoil it. I managed to get out into the front garden to remove a 'weed' which was growing through a specimen 'Ballerina' rose. Technically I suspect it wasn't a weed - but it was growing in the wrong place which makes it a weed doesn't it?

I suppose that chronology requires me to mention first our Mansfield Centre National Trust Annual Dinner at The Hostess nr Warsop, yesterday evening. The snap on the left shows the entrance. Not a good picture because it was well after 9pm and I had to use ISO 800 which accounts for the graininess.

This is the place where I believe, some time ago, Bob's Sandra got into trouble for smoking a cigarette under the canopy entrance shown. Although outside the building there is now a notice prohibiting smoking there. Even though I'm not a smoker I feel that people who are, are pursued excessively.

Reg and Maureen called in at lunchtime to pick up a basil plant and we all agreed about 'smoking'. They aren't smokers either but no one could see any problem with the idea of a Smoking Room in licensed premises.

Anyway, about last night, the food was good and the company excellent. The after dinner entertainment though, was grim. It would have perhaps suited an old-folks home, provided the residents weren't too bright. I suppose it demonstrates people's perceptions of The National Trust. Because I was suffering a little I went and sat in the car for half-an-hour and Y told me it had been a wise decision. By the way, I have discovered that the driver's seat in the Yaris tilts back to nearly horizontal and, with a cushion, I could very happily have a 'kip' there. My life-style at the moment revolves round 'kips' so this is a useful discovery.

The last picture is by way of an experiment with my Nikon. The camera allows you to take multiple exposures to produce a single frame. The technology takes care of the exposures so as to balance them for brightness etc., and fun results are possible. This shot basically superimposes the rose I have mentioned i.e. Ballerina on top of The Rowan Tree carrying the bird feeders.

With careful forethought some interesting ideas can be experimented with. Perhaps as Steven sometimes says "I ought to get out more ..........."

My responses to your valued comments

Jill ..... I bow to your birding knowledge about the non-siskin. Roy agrees with you and he knows a lot about birds. If Bob has never seen one, his contribution is only of limited value.

The zone system was/is a method of allocating values to the blackness in photographs and was more relevent to black&white. Don't worry about it !

As you will see above, we did enjoy our annual dinner. Re the 'entertainment' - a belly dancer would have been a considerable improvement.

Bob ..... Only 'pulling your leg' below about the siskin.

The Sea Bass is from Lidl and is really good.

My experience in Morrisons this morning mirrors you own, re Lactofree. No cheeses, and no cream. When I succeed in finding either I will surely try them and report back.

Yvonne ..... As you say, Miles would have known straight-away that the little bird was a non-siskin. Millicent too I wouldn't be surprised.

If you had been asked to stand under Lib Dem colours for The Council 10 yrs ago I would have been urging you on. But I think now the commitment would be too much.

Glad you found the Lactofree acceptable.

Roy ..... Thanks for the info about the siskin/goldfinch identification.

I understand from Reg that you are off caravanning either today or tomorrow. Whichever it is, I sincerely hope you both have a good time and that the weather favours you.

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Quotation time ...........

"Most men are within a finger's breadth of being mad."

Diogenes The Cynic

Diogenes by John William Waterhouse, depicting his lamp, tub, and diet of onions.

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We have a fairly busy day tomorrow. We need to go shopping. At lunchtime we are going to The Woodend Pub at Huthwaite for Joan's birthday. We've been before and it is good.

"Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow"


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Busy Tuesday - Blood, Hair and Nails - 78F - Light E Wind

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The first picture is a 'left-over' from Saturday. Just as we were leaving to go over to Burton Joyce this Dakota flew over as part of the Brinsley Carnival celebrations. I didn't have chance to change to a longer telephoto but was quite pleased with this result anyway.

On looking at the snap I notice that the fuselage door is open. Perhaps they were going to 'leaflet' us saying that the Government are rubbish.

First job this morning for me was a blood-test, and then I collected Y and we both went to have our hair cut. My barber Matt is a caravanner and very keen to hear all about North Norfolk which is one of his favourite areas. Then I took Yvonne over to Sherwood to have her 'nails' serviced. We decided I would leave her there and come back home, she to return on the bus - which all worked out fine.

It meant I could only manage one charity shop, Oxfam, but I found a lovely dog-eared edition of Ansell Adams' book called 'The Negative'. All about the 'zone-system', always worth brushing up on.

The picture on the right is one of Reg's 'Goldfinch' photos and "credit where it's due" - his is sharper than mine and well deserving of publication.

We've even got a catchlight in the critter's eye !

The weather has been great all day. Hot, very little wind, and fairly high pressure - so it feels good. Karen thought it too warm when she arrived this morning. It couldn't be too warm for Y - I remember her thinking the Tropical Biodome at The Eden Project was just about right.

Whilst in bird-picture mode we had a visit this morning from a Siskin. Please see left.

Bird habits vary so much between species. The tits and the finches seem busy and hurried feeders while this Siskin had all the time in the world. He sat there for around 10 minutes without doing anything, or making any attempt to feed.

Good news for photographers though.

I have decided against Wow-ing tomorrow. In the evening we have the National Trust Annual Dinner at The Hostess, Warsop and I need to conserve my energies for that. We have been before as a group and it always works quite well.

We plan to go over to Peter & Joan around 6pm and then collect Jean en route. Chairman Gary has arranged 'entertainment' rather than a 'speaker' so I have absolutely no idea what that will entail.

My responses to your previous comments

Bob ..... Although my diet may sound uninteresting, it isn't. This evening I cooked fresh Sea Bass, oven-baked, with fried slices of left-over salad potatoes from the fridge. Marcel Boulestin always used to recommend this. He advised "If you cook salad potatoes (the waxy kind) always cook too many and store the residue in the fridge". You can then always rustle-up a meal in minutes.

For pudding we again had Y's fruit-salad - even better today !


Jill ..... Thanks for your good wishes ! Although still rather fragile, I'm coping.

I'll scan Y's fruit-salad recipe. I think it is a Delia, with modifications !

Y is going to be just the same as you with Wimbledon. At the moment she is watching Murray whose opponent Kendrick is mounting a sturdy defence.

Rob .... Lovely to hear from you. I'll make Amboise in the Loire Valley a live link and then everyone can see where you are.

Glad it is hot and sunny and we'll look forward to more on your return.

Internet cafés are ropey. I take it your dongle doesn't work there. Or is it prohibitively expensive. I love my dongle - use it lots. It was great in Norfolk on holiday.

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Too tired to dig out a quotation. May catch you tomorrow - or may not, it depends



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Monday 22nd - 72F (phew!) - No wind

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Picture 1 is of my Father's Day cards and although there isn't one from John he did ring, all the way from Lyons and it was great to hear him.

The cards were all 'thoughtful' because, as Tracy reports, it is nigh impossible to obtain cards which are neither twee, nor rubbish. I guess I must be a difficult father to please !

I was pleased they all succeeded as well as they did.

Our trip to Burton Joyce for the Barbeque was good and we were lucky the weather held. Y doesn't like 'children pictures' on the blog but they all looked great.

Hannah is rapidly becoming a very nice-looking young lady - why can't they just stop as little girls I wonder?

The garden looked good - which is mostly due to Alex's ministrations.

Unfortunately my tummy played-up again and I had to go indoors for a sit-down. I'm beginning to think quantity is as responsible as any particular foodstuff.

However, for lunch today, I cooked. My portion was one sausage, 1½ small potatoes, 2 broccoli florets, and 4 small chestnut mushrooms. No gravy. For pudding I had a small portion of mandarin orange flan which Hannah had made, with two spoonsful of Greek Yoghurt. And I kept it all down - even though I needed a rest.

In response to a query, Helen C forwarded a full and explanatory email from one of her choir colleagues. She thinks he is trying to persuade her to go from 'vegetarian' to full 'vegan' but there was loads of interesting material . And live links to sources, which is handy.

On the left is a picture of Lactofree from Morrisons - (Debra's recommendation).

Although still cow's milk, the enzyme which causes digestion problems has been filtered out. I can't tell the difference from ordinary semi-skimmed milk - honestly ! - and it certainly seems the answer.

According to the packet, the same firm produce yoghurts, cheeses and creams. The world is my oyster !

Mainly though, for me, the answer seems minuscule portions of things. Obesity Clinic - here I come again ! A Mies van de Rohe "less is more" approach to diet !

For tea today I had a slice of bread & butter (well - Bertolli olive-oil spread) and a dish of fresh fruit salad which Y had made. Delicious it is too. I could breakfast, lunch, and dine on it, which she says is a good because the recipe yielded a medium-sized pyrex full.

The tennis has started. Wimbledon fortnight has always been a highlight for Yvonne and she used to plan her holidays around it. Unfortunately our 15yr old star Laura Robson lost her match but put up a very creditable performance. We shall hear more of her in the future.

A good feature of our Virgin media is around 9 matches being broadcast simultaneously and the click of a button takes you from one to the other. Anything to avoid the 'grunting'. Apparently a referee can now warn a player under a 'match hindrance' rule. Lets just hope it happens because for many people. certainly Y and I, it renders a match unwatchable.

This morning I took Y to the Hayley Leisure Centre and got her officially registered. We have neglected to do it for several days. She learnt lots of things she can do - classes etc., some of which sounded interesting even though her main reason for joining is the recreational and fitness inducing swimming. You never know - she might start pumping iron, and sessions on the rowing machines, kick-boxing ????? ..... where will it end?

Alex has spent a full day in our garden today and has shifted an incredible amount of work. Several years' worth if I'd have tried to do it. Not that I could have done all of it anyway. Some was far to heavy

My responses to your previous comments

Bob .... You make an excellent point about freezing cooked chickpeas instead of the hummus itself. I have already bought the chickpeas but forgot the Tahini. Anyway I need really to look in my handwritten kitchen book for the proper recipe !

The main reason is that I found Morrison's own version far too bland. It needed another 4 cloves of garlic...... At least !

The other point is that, apparently, cooked chickpeas are a good 'staple' in other dishes too.

Jill .... Very witty about 'can't wait to get to 80'. Personally I think I'll just let it arrive. I'm not in a rush.

Yvonne .... Thanks for the 'blog-holder' comment.

As you suggest, within the next couple of days I must introduce you to the intricacies of my 'blogger-dashboard' and then you could act as a fully qualified deputy-editor.

You've gained so much confidence and expertise since acquiring you own laptop haven't you. By the way, at BJ, Hannah said she would like to come over again for a sleep-over and show you even more 'tricks of the trade'.

Tilly .... We did indeed enjoy our barbeque. And for pudding at lunchtime today, we had your orange flan. Super - very happy to have it again. We had greek yoghurt with ours instead of cream. But you need to be a greek yoghurt fan because it conveys a lovely sharp flavour.

Sorry !!! The parasol- squishing was entirely my fault ! Should have looked where I was going.

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Quotation slot .....

"No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat. Without a brain, you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office"

George Bernard Shaw

I've linked you to his Nobel Laureate page. He deserved it.




and finally - one of Ray's - in his spaceship


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Good trip to Long Eaton Carnival - the weather held

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We arrived at Long Eaton just after 10.30am and sat outside David/Helen's to watch The Carnival go by. A good long procession with lots of floats. I've not shown many with kids on because parents can worry.

I was disappointed to see the Carnival led by Policemen in a van ! In my day we used to have an Officer at the front (on foot) 'pulling' and one at the back 'pushing'. Times change.

The floats were good - people work so hard. It was interesting to see no fewer than three DeLoreans ! Shame the concept didn't take off because the vehicles certainly had style. The elderly Barton's Coach was a joy. It actually looked luxurious with the antimacassars over the headrests. The regd.no. RVO 668L tells exactly how old it is and I hope someone will work it out for us.

After the Carnival had passed we had lunch. David had made some super stuffed Jacket potatoes and salad, followed by fruit tart. I'm sticking to my dairy-free approach and I feel OK. Still not 100% but getting there. My Father's Day prezzie is a hanging basket of petunias. They look good and when we got home I found a place for them to hang over by the garage. Pictures will inevitably follow.

Picture 2 is yesterday evening's sky at around this time i.e. 6pm-ish. Tonight's isn't so dramatic.

If you have a spare minute or so The Cloud Appreciation Society is worth a visit.

Apparently there's a new cloud formation around called 'Asperatus' and, if you open the link, you will be able to see some.

Personally I am more than a little suspicious, knowing what can be done in image manipulation programmes like Photoshop.

Maybe I shouldn't be such an old cynic but they just don't 'look right' to me. Views please !

Picture 2 in the series (see link) seems to owe more to Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' than to a record-shot of cloud formations.

Tracy has just arrived - she wants to be here in the morning for Father's Day, and John rang from somewhere north of Lyons. He says the weather is just starting to 'go off' abit and they are heading north, intending to sail back to UK on July 2nd. It will be good to see them when they get here. What a trip they've had !

My responses to your comments

Bob ..... I take your point about homemade/Tesco hummus. 'Bought' is certainly more convenient because I seem to remember that, when making it, I finished up with about a bucketful - and I only use a dessertspoonful on a piece of toast. Can you freeze it ? I can't remember.

It would be fun to make it again though !

Whether horses 'pull' with their collars or 'push' seems a classic case of Newtonian Physics. "To each action there is an equal and opposite reaction ....." and all that Jazz.

I seem to have known your chickens had names. But perhaps so did the Fox. And I certainly knew your chickens were egg producers because I have sampled the delights ..... Please accept our condolences.....

Whilst disliking scallops I am a keen roe-eater. The soft variety rather than the hard. I like them peppered and lightly fried in butter, with a dash of olive oil to stop it burning.

Jill .... You are right about the garden. It is full of joy at the moment. Once I get started I don't want to come in. But Y tries to keep me sensible about it.

When I was seconded to The Home Office (Police Federation and Discipline) my Region included Norfolk and Suffolk and Cambridge. I used to hold the regional meeting at North Walsham, and eat at Mundesley or Bacton (where the Oil Installation is).

Pleased you saw your 80yr old friend. 80 seems to be 'where it's at' at the moment. Our National Trust Friend Peter is 80 and last time they came over he wanted to get the mower out and do our lawns. And Yes ! he was serious. He's marvellous - but I had better spare his blushes because he is now a regular blog reader. He just wants a quick tutorial so he can start leaving ascerbic comments.

Quotation time ......

"A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule"

Michael Pollan

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Normal Friday - 60F - 9mph NWesterly - Blood Test

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Awake early this morning but not due to pain, just due to having had enough sleep. The centre picture in the above collage was the trellis and roses at around 6am. Lovely light - well worth getting up for. I waited for Y to get up and shared breakfast. Tried milk in my tea again, not a wise decision but I won't bore you with the details. I've consulted with Helen C and obtained several useful tips. I had forgotten how high in protein chick-peas are and I have remembered how I used to make Hummus with them plus Tahini and garlic. Helen also says eggs are a good standby.

Suffice to say that, during shopping we bought Soya milk. Weird stuff - it looks rather like Dulux Magnolia. But I've had several mugs of tea with it in and kept them down without a problem....... I had an INR blood test at 11am and the clinic have already rang to say my level is 2.8 which is good. No warfarin dosage change but I'm to be retested on Tuesday 23rd.

Also this afternoon I managed some time in the garden. My tomato plants, and the bird feeders needed attention. As I dealt with the bird-feeders the birds were impatient for me to 'be off' and as soon as I went about 10 yards away Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Great Tits, and Blue Tits immediately descended. No Sparrows or the Robin though. They won't be far away.

I made a start on the WoW>Picasa Web Albums job and have done the Bempton Cliffs trip - I shall do the Ashford in the Water outing tomorrow. If I get time, because we are off to Long Eaton a.m. for the Carnival followed by lunch.

The snap on the left is The Walnut Tree Shades Pub in Norwich which we mentioned. I've linked you to a page where other people have said what they think about the place. It seems the live music is v.good.

My responses to your previously crafted comments

Bob ..... I think it must be your perception of the Wells Quay which is remiss.

Wells was on our itinerary when we used to stay at Mundesley in the 70s and Frarys Fishmongers was certainly there then. No matter.

Re foodstuffs. I have also consulted Helen C and picked up some valuable tips particularly on protein-source alternatives to meat and dairy produce. Don't know if you remember but I have a good recipe for hummus which I used to make for the Nottingham Writers lads. The one the link shows, is Jamie Oliver, but almost identical to my own. Fortunately Y and I both love hummus.

I yield my position on their's.

Jill ..... Please see above re their's. Don't know what I was thinking of ! You are all correct.

Re : The Shire Horses. Pleased to hear that you set a good example to that lily-livered youth.

When I referred to hanging on to the horse's halter I meant, of course, his collar. On a heavy horse the collar is an enormous piece of leather worked art to which all the pulling equipment is attached.

Usually Yvonne is also concerned about 'shellfish' i.e. mussels, whelks etc., but she seems OK with crab, lobster, and crayfish tails. She had a bad experience in Egypt ! Apart from the 'camel' already mentioned.

Yvonne ..... Lovely story about the Milkman's Horse and I can understand your concern that he might nibble your toes. Our milk also was delivered by pony and trap with two big churns and two long-handled ladles (one full pint and one half-pint). The milkman was in fact Archie Stubb's mother. His parents/grand-parents owned the farm up near Bradley Wood which I will have pointed out to you.

As you say - a busy weekend. But with benefit of frequent 'kips' I shall be fine.

Roy ..... Thanks for your support over the Seafood Stall on the Quay at Wells.

You are quite right about the Deli ..... opposite and maybe 30 yards further down the road. A fascinating place. We also bought some Olive Oil based salad-dressing with Shallot and Orange. We tried a dash last night and enjoyed it. A little goes a long way.

Brancaster Staithe we remember with affection for probably the best strawberries we have ever tasted.

Like you, I can't understand the acclaim for Scallops. I too consider them tastless but worst of all so chewy as to be almost impossible to masticate into a swallowable consistency. Are you perhaps supposed to swallow them whole like oysters ?

I've tried them twice - to be sure I wasn't mistaken first time. And that will do for me and scallops.

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Quotation slot .......

"I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew no white dude would come into my neighborhood after dark."

Dick Gregory

We haven't closed with Grandma for a week or two - so here goes





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Y at BJ - Me quiet and messing about - 60F - Windy

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Y has gone over to Burton Joyce as usual having managed a little rest yesterday. I stress 'a little' because whenever I saw her she was either using the washing-machine, tumble-drier, or ironing-board. Household equipment with which I seldom experiment.

Having been a long-term uniform wearer though, I can put a tidy crease into a pair of trousers - if necessary, but so seldom these days.

The snap on the left from Wells-next-the-Sea will please Norfolk Coast fans because this firm have been trading here as long as I can remember. And we certainly enjoyed our dishes of freshly dressed crab. He also had a small amount of freshly gathered samphire and I wish I had brought home a small amount to use with our salad today. But I fear it would have gone soggy and limp.

This morning I thought I was fully recovered even though still on the anti-biotics. In consequence I risked milk in my tea. Bad decision because the feelings of sickness immediately returned. I shall stick to my green-tea with lemon and black coffee for the time being. Is that CoffeeMate stuff diary free I wonder ? Must read the box carefully.

Having mentioned the Heavy Horses in their field I attach the above collage of two snaps from the bedroom window. Jill said she liked the idea, so here they are.

I note from my EXIF data a timing of 5.03am which accounts for the attractive lighting. As a boy (about 5yrs old) I was allowed to sit on the back of a super Shire Horse pulling a haycart, and holding onto the top of his halter tightly. The horse seemed enormous and I was so high in the air. Elf & Safety would probably prosecute the farmer these days but, there you are, I remember it vividly nearly 70yrs later.

The picture on the right is a collage of the front/rear of the packet of Smoked Maldon Sea Salt. I tasted a few grains this morning and it is certainly a subtle and interesting flavour. I'm preparing a salad for our evening meal which will be a good opportunity to try it out.

If my problem with dairy produce and meat continue I must consult Helen C and Bob's Sandra who are both experienced in the field. Missing out cheese long term would be the biggest problem. I feel that, with regard to meat, I am going off it steadily anyway.

I have heard nothing from my fellow WoW-ers and don't even know where they went on Wednesday. I'm sure I shall though in due course. If they haven't read the blog they probably don't even know I'm back. This evening I'll probably ring Reg....

My responses to your previous comments

Yvonne .... I wouldn't have rated the Walnut Tree Shades as the worst pub. My feet didn't stick to the floor for one thing, and there was no lipstick on the glasses.

And what about that IRA pub near Waterloo Station where the hubbub of conversation died when we walked in ?

I maintain my position over the greengrocers' apostrophe. My aim was to discuss 'their' Carnival and to say we would visit their's rather than our own. A moot point I think. Other opinions would be welcomed.

David ..... We too are looking forward to coming over to see your Long Eaton Carnival. I love the countdown timer at the bottom of the web-page. At the time of writing I have just 1 day - 20 hours - 11 minutes - and 27 seconds to wait.

It will be great to see you all and have a little lunch with you.

jbw ..... I can recall the house you mention and I agree with your assessment of its architecture. Unfortunately I didn't take a snap or I could have blogged it.

Jill ..... Just to clear up the point about the hotel food. It was very good indeed.

After the first morning I decided to leave the fry-up alone and have a more continental start to the day. Although the actual food was super the waitering was sloppy. You'd ask for toast and nothing would happen. Then you'd ask again and two lots would arrive. But minor irritants only. Some of the starters and puddings were exceptionally good, especially those based on sorbets.

I didn't complain to the Farm Shop because I can't quite be sure about the pork pie. And re-reading what I have just written about going off the 'fry-ups' I wonder if my tummy started to be iffy earlier.

We didn't like the singer in the purple tent either. I found neither her voice, nor the rest of her, at all attractive.

Bob ..... Please see above re food.

You are right about the weight-loss - I lost nearly 3 lbs. Not an attractive way to do it though.

Really sorry to hear about your chickens. Usually there is no doubt if it is a fox, due to the feather debris left behind.

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Quotation time ......

"The English country gentleman galloping after a fox - the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable"

Oscar Wilde

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Back home, back to normal - 60F - heavy rain

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We seem to have been away ages but in fact just under a week. The Mansfield Centre of The National Trust's long weekend in Norfolk was a great success. The organiser, Jean, had done a super job and, as usual arranged for us to have excellent weather.

Our itinerary included so much of interest I think it best not to list them all. But we included stately homes and gardens plus the seaside.

Picture 1 is of Sandringham the Queen's country retreat and everything was in lovely condition. I spent more time in the gardens than the house.

Our seaside day was at Wells-Next-The-Sea where again the weather favoured us. We enjoyed fresh crab and Y discovered a delicatessen which deserves mention. A fascinating find and although I just went to look, inevitably I bought things. One notable purchase was Maldon Sea Salt (smoked). I use the ordinary all the time but I'm interested to encounter the smoked version. I shall report back.

Our room was exceptionally good with a magnificent view from our bay window. Looking right you could see the sea and looking front and left were lovely meadows, village houses, and a Shire Horse Rescue Station. In the mornings you could see the heavy horses in their fields.

We never had time in our busy schedule to fit in a visit to them. Perhaps next time.

On the return journey Jean's control over the weather only held out as far as our last visited place, Norwich where we had several hours. Some people visited the Castle, some the Cathedral, some, including us, just had a good mooch about. Just 20 minutes after we left Norwich the skies opened.

We stopped in a Farm Shop/Restaurant at Holbeach where I inadvisedly ate a pork pie. I think it had recently been defrosted - it was suspiciously cold to the touch. But, fortunately after dropping off Jean and Wendy, I just managed to get home before I was violently ill. Sickness, diarrhea and violent and uncontrollable twitching - at my request Y sent for the Doctor who was out making visits and called in. She prescribed anti-biotics and things for the sickness. By today I was well enough to go for my blood-test and I know my INR level will have gone haywire again. I was so ill I didn't take my Warfarin on Monday and the tablets prescribed will affect it anyway. I await the results with interest.

My replies to your previous comments

Jill .... Your keyboard is fine. Apparently the 'wireless' ones which transmit a signal to the PC leave enough space for cybercriminals to intercept and download account numbers etc.

Glad Ro's results were OK.

The bridge at Ashford in the Water is, without doubt, of the pack-horse persuasion.

Yvonne .... It seems well-dressings no longer are limited to religious themes and are simply works-of-art in their own right..


Bob .... I'm pleased your trouble is diagnosed as Achilles rather than DVT which is more serious. Colin Fletcher has DVT trouble and it has made him quite poorly.

There may be some mistake. Your Ashford-under-Water sounds post deluge. Our WoW trip was to Ashford-in-the-Water.

jbw ... I know Tissington very well, being an Ashbourne lad. My father's firm owned the village pub there.

Rob .... Thanks for your good wishes for Norfolk - all of which were fulfilled. We met a local in Norwich who directed us to The Walnut Tree Shades pub down an alley. Every word was intelligible - our objective was a quiet pub without juke-box and this was spot on.

Y may well say more in her comment.

Thanks for The Haiku from the Sports Desk. It is undoubtedly a gift you have there. Just wish for your sake there was some money in it.

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The fun-fare is arriving bit by bit on the Football Field opposite, prior to The Carnival on Saturday. But we are going over to Long Eaton to enjoy their's. Previously we have sat out on David and Helen's forecourt and watched it go by. Here's hoping the weather allows us to do so again.

Quotation time .....

"No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one"

Elbert Hubbard

Some TV to watch tonight Y tells me, a programme about the Pre-Raphs on BBC 4 and a whole hour about The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition on BBC 2 at 7pm. Yvonne and I have always loved the Summer Exhibition and it must be about time for us to pay another visit.

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I don't believe I've shown you The Ducks yet




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Running late - sorry! - 58F - NW wind again.

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I'm running late. Half way through packing. The 2 hrs I spent bedding-out in the garden this afternoon were tiring, but worth it. The plants wouldn't have been in a good state if I'd left them till our return. Derek and Betty returned just before 6pm and we were able to hand over their plants in good order. Derek has now taken over looking after ours.

So, basically please excuse my lack of responses to your comments. All will be tidied up when I next publish - sometime early next week.

Pictures 1 and 2 are from WoW on Wednesday. The Cricket Pavilion and Cromford Station both 'took my eye'.

The weather looks promising and we shall have a good time with our Mansfield National Trust chums in Norfolk. Please click here to see where we are staying.

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A WoW of a WoW day - Bit of rain - but some sun too

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Setting-off from here instead of Reg's seemed strange but we got underway quite early. Only four of us went - Roger, Brian, Mike and myself so we all travelled in the Yaris. And very well she did too, forging ahead up steep Derbyshire hills with 4 big blokes aboard, plus gear and my 'wheels' all without a whimper of complaint.


Ashford-in-the-Water, nr Bakewell was our chosen location and proved to be somewhat of a undiscovered gem.

I can't quite remember whether the instigator was Brian or Roger but, unbeknown to either the well-dressings were on. If you open the last link you will see photos of all the wells. I didn't take those. But I did take the one on the right which in our opinion was the best.

No photograph could do it Justice. It glowed, and, when you consider that the pictures are all worked with flower petals and other vegetative material, all you can do is stand back and be amazed !

There was so much to photograph even though at this particular time the light wasn't ideal. The chaps disappeared on their walk and I did the wells, the Church, some charming cottages etc. Then I downloaded them to my Asus note-book, and e-mailed Y a picture even though I knew she wasn't at home. She went to Burton Joyce today instead of tomorrow. Tomorrow she is off into Nottingham to meet Joan for lunch at The Bell.

My confusion over the dates wasn't helped when Joan Green rang to wish us all the best on our Norfolk trip starting on Friday, which she had thought was tomorrow. I won't go on..... One of you will ask me who the Prime Minister is ! I just know it will happen ! In any case, it's easy - it's Margaret Thatcher, anyfule know that.

On the way back I got a snap of the most idyllic village Cricket pitch I have seen for years. Probably I'll use it tomorrow but I am trying to limit myself to two photographs per day.

A security warning - The word from the streets is that, if you use a wireless keyboard you should revert to a 'wired' one. If you open the link and read the article you will see there is some risk of cybercriminals intercepting sensitive information between keyboard and PC.

I've never trusted or used Internet banking anyway. But I suppose there is always credit-cards etc., when buying online.

My responses to your previous comments

jbw .... I thought you must have gone into your 'tower', removed the hard disc and installed it in another machine or something. Thanks for clearing the point up.

My only criticism of Norton used to be that it was slow and clunky, and slowed everything else down with it. This certainly isn't the case anymore. It goes about it's business more briskly than AVG. In the field of Internet Security Eset Nod 32 is also well spoken of on WebUser forums and my chums on there are usually reliable.

Bob .... Thanks for you congrats. on the bird pics. Does 'chasing the Wren' have drug connotations like 'chasing the Dragon' ?

Norton 360 does have those links for us oldie bike-fans. I think Norton did a 350, although I suspect their smallest was a 500cc. AJS did a 350, because I owned one.

My pet AVG gripe was it's tendency to flash a small window about the size of a mobile phone in the middle of my screen accompanied by an irritating 'ping'. This window was blank except for the AVG logo in the top left hand corner. I never did discover what it was supposed to do, and now I've uninstalled the programme, I don't suppose I ever will. Am I bovvered? Do I look bovvered?

Dried plantain and saltfish ! Now that does sound exotic ! And fascinating !

Talking of recipes, my David speaks highly of the Videojug website. The site features 'how-to videos' about all manner of subjects. When we return from our Norfolk Nat Trust jaunt I aim to have a good play with it. I've linked you to the Food & Drink section but, as you will see, there are others...... I like the look of the Creative and Culture section for a start.

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Quotation time ..... Exotic made me think .....

"I love being in my garden. I don't plant a lot of exotic flora, but I do spend a lot of time outside doing manual labour. "

Jacqueline Bisset

I've always thought Jacqueline Bisset herself quite an exotic girl who has been in some v.good films. The IMDb site I've linked you to, includes other links to trailers and I thought, if you were bored .......

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Blood test - Karen day - Still cool and windy

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My blood test was before 9am and I was back home by 8.50am - Sheila the phlebotomist is so quick and reliable, and, it being 3 weeks since she had seen me she immediately said she could see I had lost some weight and it suited me. Well .....

Then Karen arrived and Y and I went to Jacksdale Garden Centre for some plants mainly for the ringaround bed in the front lawn. Oo0-er, if you open the link you will find a decent website. Obviously most pubs can't do it but garden-centres can.

We did a little shopping (good time to go - very quiet and unhurried and plenty of parking spaces). By the time we got back Alec had arrived to do some heavy jobs in the garden.

This afternoon I finished off de-weeding the ringaround and planted most of our newly acquired plants. They were in good order and nicely rooted. It's going to be a hotchpotch of little groups of geraniums, asters, petunias, lobelia and french marigolds. With Alec working in one part of the front garden and me working in another, the robin was 'spoilt for choice'. Wherever the most recently turned soil was, he was there. The photo on the left was the best I could manage. (a) he didn't like the camera and (b) brown birds don't show up well against brown soil.

I'm enjoying my little forays into the garden. Y is concerned lest I overdo it (as I do most things) but it IS good exercise, and from my kneeling mat I can't fall down very far. By-the-way I forgot to tell you but yesterday, the Dentist was very pleased with Y's teeth. "You really do look after your teeth don't you?" was his judgement as he told her no remedial wotk was necessary.


Although more guarded than the Robin about my presence Mrs. Blackbird decided the pickings were too good and plentiful to ignore.

The snap on the right demonstrates even more the problems of brown birds against brown backgrounds. Never mind - just a record shot anyway.

Y is also suffering aches & pains, and back-ache and we both needed a lie-down. But, due to Alec being here we decided one of us should stop up. Y took the first watch and then after an hour, I toook the second. It's abit much when you have to have naps in shifts !

Alec has promised us another day's work next week, probably Wednesday or Thursday by which time we shall have returned from our Norfolk break with Mansfield National Trust. We are really looking forward to it but unfortunately Peter and Joan aren't going.

WoW tomorrow. In Reg's absence, people are to meet here at the usual time. No decisions yet as to venue. Hope the weather is friendly.

My responses to your previous comments

Bob ..... AVG is OK but it kept flashing messages at me ! My new Norton (effectively free!) beavers away quietly in the background and also offers me secure online storage space.

My first experience with headphones was a crystal-set I managed to build from a kit and I was allowed to have it in my boyhood bedroom. You see I was a radio fanatic even then ! Then you are right, I did have to use them during my National Service.

Jill .... I think we are all getting more accustomed to the new crossword compilers at The Telegraph. The way they flag anagrams, and sound-likes etc., is subtly different. Today I think there's a 'sound-like' flagged as 'noisily' which I thought quite clever.

What a shame your friend can't take an interest in the garden birds. Now they really do sound exotic. Parakeets and a Green Woodpecker. Brinsley wouldn't be ready for that.

By-the-way, rose varieties with multi-bloomed stems are usually called 'floribunda'.

Pete B .... A pleasure to plug your site. Unfortunately Reg is still on holiday but he is a 'red arrows' fan and in fact all aircraft. He is also a keen aero-modeller. Wow-ee, another link there well worth opening.

Rob ..... Nice to see you. I agree with your points overall and your concerns about the County Council in particular. Tracy says how helpful Labour have always been to her and her Arts Administration department. I wouldn't expect much from the Tories in that respect. She now has 140 people working for her and really fears cutbacks.

Y spoke to Margaret this morning and some interesting news about 'Lachs'. With The Panthers Coach's approval he is being 'poached' by Manchester. The Panther's coach feels the experience there will be very good for his career. Also he is having part-time release so he can go to Manchester University at the same time. Margaret of course refers to him as Robert and is very pleased for him, and proud of him too.

Its early days but I like the look of Norton 360.

I accept that compared with Tesco my earphones were pricey. But 'hey ! why not push the boat out ?

I agree - The Haiku certainly creaks abit.

jbw .... I'm mystified as to how you managed to uninstall Norton when you couldn't boot-up your computer.

I agree McAfee is good. And their SiteAdvisor is useful so long as not taken as gospel. Some of the sites they accord green, amber, or red ticks to, haven't been checked by them for a year or more.

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Quotation time .....

"The haiku lets meaning float; the aphorism pins it down"

Mason Cooley

Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow - and, just for Rob -



I think it was one of his in the first place !
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A pleasant relaxing day - 57F - 7mph NEasterly

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Picture 1 is the old -fashioned Shrub Rose. We have no idea of a name but she does well each year.

Even though its been an easy-going sort of day we seem to have done lots. After breakfast and a good go at the Crossword (finished mid-afternoon) I managed an hour in the garden - my herb bed is more or less complete and the main task now is clearing out some very overgrown vinca minor.

Y decided to go swimming so I took her to the Hayley Leisure Centre and she walked back via the Headstocks.

She managed 10 lengths and has told you herself about the annoying Aqua Club old women who can't swim and just stand there occupying water-space !

For lunch I did a Quorn mince-substitute Spag.Bol which was OK - certainly not more and Y did jelly and greek yoghurt plus a little compote for pudding which redeemed the meal. This afternoon Y was at the Dentists and I did some computer jobs. The main one was uninstalling AVG (I've never liked it and it expired today anyway) then I installed Norton 360 which seems fine. I got 3 licences when it came with my new Dell laptop. Gone are the days when Norton was slow and clunky and slowed everything else to a crawl. This version suffers from none of that.

Picture 2 is of a sparrow on the nut-feeder. A common-or-garden House Sparrow I think, unless anyone knows better.

The weather has been so variable again. You look at the sky and think that it is going to pour, then 10 minutes later you are in bright sun.

While Y was actually in the Dentists I went to the Computer shop and bought some new earphones to fit my Sanyo DAB Radio/MP3 player. The were quite cheap, £4, but as my listeneing is restricted to the spoken word there was little point in posh expensive ones.

My responses to you previous comments

Jill ..... I bet your 'donner & blitzen' at 7am was quite scary. I'm not sure if the weather really is unusual or whether it sometimes is like this in June.

Re the Kalanchoe - I think I decided that, having done so well, it deserved the reward of the gravel in the saucer. Probably it is good for plants. acting as a slow release source of moisture but I'm not convinced it's essential.

Sorry to hear about the rain damage to your Albertine rose. I'm hazarding a guess that it will be a 'white' and, as a generalisation they don't seem to like wet weather at all. We had 'Iceberg' once but gave up on it for the same reason.

Bob .... I get over the foot-washing problem by sitting on the bathroom box and giving them the once-over with a flannel. JC never seems to be around when you need him !

Re 'infuser' names. I don't like 'mashball' at all. Sounds too much like something to do with Robocop.

Yvonne .... How philistine to describe Waiting for Godot as a load of rubbish. It is great play and, as you know, I rate Beckett.

jbw .... Thank you for your sweet comment about Millicent and big-school !

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Quotation time .......

"Education is a method whereby one acquires a higher grade of prejudices"

Laurence J Peter

Sleep tight - I'll catch you tomorrow

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Torrential Rain - Heating On - 47F - 6mph NE wind

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Whoops ! I think yesterday's blog-post should have read 'Quiet Saturday etc.etc..'

Fancy getting my days mixed up. Some social worker will be asking me the name of the Prime Minister next ! ..... I'm surprised one of my regular commenters didn't mention it though.

Picture 1 is from David's Caravan Holiday at the Peterborough site and weren't they lucky to have such lovely weather. (I love that strong diagonal D.)

Today has been awful here but Y spoke to Debra who was enjoying a warm sunny day.

That's England I suppose. But I wouldn't want to swap it.

There was a lull in the weather around 9.45am and I managed a little while in the garden. After clearing some more of the 'herb bed' I transplanted a sage plant which had become potbound in it's pot.

I split it into 3 and gave each one some space and I'm expecting them to prosper. Our fearless Robin came to within a few inches of my kneeling mat and managed to find beaks-full of grubs where I couldn't see any. He/she would go back to the nest and then come back for more.

Picture 2 is a Kalanchöe which David and Helen brought Y on Mothering Sunday (22nd March) - the photograph was taken yesterday. Hasn't it done well ! Between us we have given it care though - dead-heading and keeping it trim.

I think 'succulents' do perhaps have a longer flowering life-span than other houseplants. Except of course for the current varieties of Orchid.

We've had a pretty standard Sunday. Leisurely start with the weekend supplements, out shopping to Lidl. We were going to do Morrisons as well but in the end we gave it a miss. It wasn't worth getting soaked for.

Over lunch we watched (Y wasn't keen but she was happy for me to watch it) an excellent programme on Arena (thanks to iPlayer) about T.S.Elliott. It certainly held my interest and, unless reminded, one forgets how important he has been to 20th/21st Century Poetry. He must have been a helluva' fella because in whatever job he did he was destined for the top. A top level banker for Lloyds. An excellent publisher/editor of Faber & Faber. Seamus Heaney was an important part of the programme and I always find him a joy to watch, and listen to too.

This afternoon I did some photographic printing. Possible now after Brian's good offices.

Picture 3 is also from David. As he says - the blog tries to cater for all interests. This must be part of the Nene Valley Railway which has a station as part of the Ferry Meadows Caravan Club site. Or a level crossing near it.

Talking of catering for all interests as Pete B says in his comment, the TT races are in full swing, except of course for the bad weather delays.

Please click here for a full update and some great pictures. I love the sidecar snaps Pete.

And bear in mind Pete is not really a 'bike' fan so his coverage on his site is by way of a public service to us blog-readers. I love the way bloggers side step the media, and editors - they really are 'power to the people' organs.

My replies to your previous comments

Jill .... I suppose it must be a 'tea infuser'. I was hoping it would be called something more exotic. Perhaps someone could invent a more flamboyant name.

We too are great 'English Breakfast' fans. Usually Mr. Twinings. It's base is Assam and, as you will see from the link it is described as full-bodied and a fine accompaniment to breakfast.

I think the behaviour of bus passengers is inevitably a product of area. And without wishing to sound snobbish I think Chiswick probably has the edge over Eastwood and Arnold.

Bob .... We also were relieved that the BNP councillor lost her seat in our ward. So did Labour. The Tories won it. I just hope they don't start boggering up our local services because we think the Labour Council have been pretty good...... But Labour Councillors have lost their seats all over the country through no fault of their own,

Bright idea using your tea-infuser for herbs. I'm certainly going to borrow that one.

Yvonne ..... You make a fair point about tea-bags. I think that, like so many things, they have improved greatly in recent years. Definitely not 'dust' anymore.

Pete B ..... Thanks very much for the 'word from the streets' about the TT races.

As you will see above I have included a link to your site.

David .... Thanks very much for an excellent story about JD in his Night-Club management days.

For the benefit of other readers - JD is a friend of David's from School Days. Unfortunately now he is an M.S. sufferer but struggles on gamely. He is also a talented artist.

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Quotation time .....

"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. "

Martin Luther

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Quiet Sunday - Gone cold again - 52F - 16mph ENE

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I bought this gadget in Ikea yesterday and have already used it successfully several times.

They must have a proper name but I can't remember what it is. The idea is to put a spoonful of leaf-tea in the wire-mesh end (it opens by compressing the two arms against the spring) then you put it in your mug and pour boiling water over. Obviously, when your tea is a suitably brewed colour you take it out.

Ingenious ! The one we had at home wasn't spring loaded and had holes in the metal rather then mesh. The results so far have been more than satisfactory.

The rain has been extremely heavy and our poorly draining bits are awash. Going down now though (6pm) because it has stopped raining. Also very cold and an ENE wind with 29mph gusts. I am so sorry for people just about to set off on holiday. Let's hope it brightens and warms up abit.

For lunch I cooked fresh Sea Bass and decided to oven-bake it which worked well. As accompaniments I did Jersey Royals and Mange-toute peas. Followed by a Y jelly and Greek Yoghurt. Delicious.

Microsoft have introduced a new search-engine, to rival google. It is called Bing and has one or two nice features. As 'google' now does, it offers suggestions to possible sites when you enter a search term. But a new nicety is that, when it opens a list of results, it offers a summary of each site before you decide whether to open it or not. This is achieved by hovering your mouse over the right hand edge of the listed site. So easy and useful when you get used to it. I could become a convert !

Picture number 2 needs no explanation. It is a cartoon by Bob.

As usual, beautifully drawn.

My responses to your comments

Jill ..... You may be right that John & Yvonne are now heading for home but yesterday we received a real post-card (the sort with a stamp) from Port Fréjus. This apparently is located between Cannes and Saint-Tropez.

Lucky old you, going to Alaska while it was so unspoilt.

I wasn't as much in favour of the Sheila Hancock Poetry programme as you were. I realise that much of her chosen work was relevant to what she had found comforting after the death of John Thaw. But I think she has milked this dry. Maybe I just don't like the woman very much.


Bob .... I think we do the same as you. In the first place, years ago, we set ordinary cooking coriander seed. Then harvested some seed from the result, and have simply kept it going ever since.

The service buses I have used very occasionally are, as you say, and Y affirms, uncomfortable. Her main complaint though, is the thoughtless behaviour of the clientelle.

Coaches on the other hand always suit me fine. So long as we sit on the driver's side so I can stretch my really bad left leg down the aisle. I would go so far as to say that I actually like and enjoy coach travel. Maybe because it's mostly with our Mansfield National Trust chums whose company we love.

Alaska to Siberia via The Bering Strait is just a walk. When the sea is frozen, which it mostly is. My memory tells me there was a move afoot once to build a land-bridge. Don't know what happened to the project.

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Quotation time ......

"To the lover of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world"

John Muir

Sleep tight - catch you tomorrow



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Nice Friday - Ikea breakfast with Peter & Joan - 55F

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This picture from John is one of his v.g. pictures of water.

Good decision John to have the tower break the skyline of the middle-distance hill. It makes the picture.

Reminiscent of Scotland's much photographed Eilean Donan Castle. Too much photographed some would say, a bit like the Taj Mahal.

John tells me they are 'tearing themselves away' from the Cote d'Azur because the weather is getting hotter and hotter. They aim to head up through Switzerland on their way to the UK and should arrive home sometime in July. ....... What a holiday?

Here, back at base, we have had a very pleasant day. Peter and Joan came over quite early and we went to IKEA for one of their fabled breakfsasts. It all worked out well and they enjoyed their meal. The four breakfasts and free coffee came to the exorbitant total of £3.96p.

But IKEA aren't daft are they ? After breakfast we all went for a browse round the store. We bought several things and P & J actually bought a table !

The Iris picture on the left was taken yesterday evening in the light of the setting sun. The light was only like this for a few minutes but fortunately I had my camera handy.

This afternoon, after a nap I was inspired to carry on gardening and continued to de-weed the circular bed in the front. Then I planted some petunias to go with the already planted geraniums, but I still have vacant places. The tomato plants are still thriving and I have replanted basil seed. Next job is to clear a bed where Y can plant some coriander. If that sounds as if I'm delegating, it is only because Y always seems successful with coriander and this afternoon I noticed in my seed box an envelope of our own seed !

It has just started raining. To water in my petunias !

My replies to your comments

Bob ..... I remember Retford quite well although I was never actually stationed there. Very oldie-worldie. As you know I feel there should be bye-laws requiring Town Centres to have a Wilco.

You certainly did well to find a pint of Ruddles at £1.29p.

I, like Jill, think you are wrong about the colour to which Lupins revert. I'm sure it is blue. Borne out by those which have gone feral on the motorway verges at the moment. All blue. At least, round here they are.

Jill .... Well done with the Radio 4 newsletter (e-mail refers). I just leave mine in my in-box where it is easy to refer to.

Yvonne ..... Of course you make the important point about buses. I don't use them at all do I? Which makes me completely unqualified to utter about the subject. Mind you, that doesn't usually stop me does it?

Once I would have envied June her Alaska trip. When I was about 14 I read Pierre Berton's book about The Gold rush and was completely captivated. Those place names - Skagway, Anchorage, Dawson City seemed so romantic to a teenage youth.

Just browsing now - Alaska is the only place where you can travel 600 miles in a straight line without encountering a barbed-wire fence.

Debbie .... Thank you for your comment on my post about Watnall Farm Shop on October the 3rd, 2008. I think you must have done a blog-search to trawl for comments about the Shop. Good luck to you. The pies are excellent.

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Quotation time ......

"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness"

Jane Austen

Sleep tight - catch you tomorrow



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BJ day for Y - Catch up day for me - 60F - 5 mph Northerly

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Lupins have been mentioned and this morning Y noticed that ours are putting in an appearance. I hadn't been in that bit of the garden recently, not being able to find my Safari hat or brushwood knife.

Everyday there's something new in the garden, it's hard to keep track of developments.

What was the old song about -

'June is bustin' out all over'

...... It's from Carousel by-the-way.

Y has gone over to Burton Joyce for her Thursday grannying stint but first, we went to vote.

At the polling-station we saw Roger and he told us what a great day WoW had had at Bempton Cliffs. I told him Bill S had already sent 4 snaps that looked brilliant. Roger said they had excellent photography weather !

Then we went to Lidl to buy swimming-goggles and a beach towel for Y which we spotted in the Lidl Newsletter for today. If one isn't there early people buy them all and sell them on e-bay at a good profit. Doesn't seem fair but I don't suppose Lidl are bothered.

I have done some gardening jobs. The most important one was to replant Basil seed. Although those I planted in April are clinging to life they aren't romping away as they they usually do.

Don't know why, I didn't do anything differently. But as you can see from the picture on the left above, they aren't in vigorous good health.

The last picture today is of a really old shrub rose that has moved about with us. The flower is odd with a green bud-type thing in the middle of each bloom. The scent is heavenly and the rose always does well.

I noticed aphids on it this morning but no black-spot or mildew etc..

My other odd jobs include, as ever, computer jobs and photograph stuff.

My responses to your previous comments

Bob .... I passed your comments on to the thrush this morning. He replied 'My pleasure'.

If my conversation with the Sat/Nav lady causes comment, I must restrict my conversations to those with the birds and the flowers. Plus of course the Trees. Rumour has it that Prince Charles talks to his trees - so he can't be all bad !

Re your problem with shortening the bus-story to 200 words. As I said in my e-mail -

"Tis when I labour to be brief that I become obscure"

Horace

Jill ...... In our area there are now some weird bus-services. But the main ones are excellent. Our Trent/Barton service cannot really be faulted. Y uses it a lot. There are two an hour into Nottingham from a bus stop 50 yards away. The coming back bus stop is about 20 yards away and on our side of the road. And yes, they do say on the front where they are going.

Two of our Nat Trust friends Dorothy and Joan (both in their 80s) often go on bus adventures - to Derby, to Newark, Lincoln etc., and they don't mind at all having to change. It's all part of the fun for them.

Please send your photos. If they need remedial work I will do my best and send them back to you. With your camera I think the only solution is to keep the camera more or less level and point the lens at what you want to snap. Keep the shutter button half depressed while it focuses on something and then click. That will probably work out most of the time. The camera manufacturers have abandoned viewfinders unless you want to pay a lot of money. ...... please see jbw's comment.

The Museum Café sounds great. They often seem to be.

Kate Adie still introduces the radio programme 'from our own correspondent' and very good she is too.

Tomorrow (Friday) evening on Radio 4 David Attenborough begins the first of 20 programmes about his life as a naturalist. The programmes are only 10 minute slots and should be well worth a listen.

jbw .... You are right about viewfinders. We shall all have to go back 50+ years and have a black cloth to drape over our heads and the camera.

.................................

Tomorrow morning Peter and Joan are coming over early and we are taking them to IKEA for one the fabled breakfasts. We rabbitted on about them so much they decided they had to give them a try.

Quotation time .......

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast"

John Gunther

He should have added - plus the Telegraph crossword. But he was an American.

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"Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow"




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Y dead-heads the roses - I kipped a lot. Cloudy start.

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Thrushes are apparently endangered so I decided to publish a mug-shot of ours. I'm not sure where they are nesting but we see one most days.

The bird on the left looks very young. But not quite young enough to be this year's I suspect.

Yvonne has been busy this morning dead-heading the roses. Two points - (1) we have a lot of roses and (2) the garden so much repays her efforts because the roses now look super. They were fine before but even better now.

I was up quite early this morning and had breakfast, did a few crossword clues, and then announced I was going for a lie-down because my back was bad. Next thing I knew it was 2.30pm. My first thought was that it was 2.30am then, due to the light, I realised it was afternoon. I must have needed the sleep I suppose. Y had finished the crossword.

This afternoon I sorted out the recent pictures that WoW members have sent me. I uploaded them to a Picasa Web Album, sorted the captions out and reduced them to 1024, amended the Album title and then circulated everyone with the amended link.

My responses to your previous comments

jbw .... I yield the point about 3 dimensional views being necessary.

Jill .... A warm welcome back. Glad Bristol was 'interesting' but I am sorry about your hayfever. Even in towns, privet always triggers Y's. I'm not a sufferer at all, but I do sympathise.

Re Sat/Navs. I note that, within our Garmin, one can change 'the voice' were R to object to the lady suggesting that he turn left.

Your Bath day open-top bus trip sounds good. Plus the river trip. Y and I love a boat trip, anywhere.

Yvonne ...... No need at all to apologise for using the 'forum' aspect of the blog.

I am pleased when people follow up the 'comments' of other readers. It would indeed be boring stuff if only I was able to initiate a 'thread' for discussion.

Bob ..... I don't understand about the bus. Have you explained already? Can you tell the bus-driver where you want to go - like a taxi ?

We must try your brushwood solution (ha ha!) because this morning Y noticed an intrusive blackberry bramble and when they get a foothold .......

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Quotation time .....

"Extreme thoughts take hold in his mind, like the brambles in a wild field. "

Denis Diderot

From her knowledge of 'The Enlightenment' Y will probably tell you all about Diderot and The Encyclopédie-ists in uder 200 words in her comment !

Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow




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Mini-trip to Colwick Park - Warm no Wind

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The picture is a collage of front and side views of a bug on our bird-feeder Rowan. My reference books don't give me a positive answer. The closest picture is a Green Shield Bug but I'm not sure. All suggestions will be gratefully received.

My day began with an appointment at the Obesity Clinic and I'm pleased to report a further 4lbs off. The nurse is pleased with my progress and I don't need to return for another month.

As you will see from her comment Y went swimming again and is still very happy with the place.

Brian S came to sort out my printers. The Epson's symptoms were simply that the blues were coming out orange, and none of the colours looked right. We went through the nozzle-cleaning processes several times but although the print-outs were clear the problem persisted.

Then Brian had a brain wave and identified the cause. Human error ! Mine ! ..... Last time I had had to replace ink-cartridges I had put the Yellow in the Cyan slot and vice versa.

He changed them over and eventually, after many nozzle-cleaning runs (due to cross contamination) the problem was solved and a perfect print emerged. Thanks very much Brian !

Y made a lovely salmon salad followed by bananas and custard, after which we decided to nip over to Colwick Country Park (where Denis Incy Wincy photographed the Mandarin Duck) but I think we finished up at the wrong end.

Not at all the Sat/Nav's fault but we went to a car-park close to The Starting Gate pub. I can't give you a link because I couldn't find a decent website with a picture. Anyway, we enjoyed our walk, talked to nice people and the exercise was good for us. According to the forecasters Wednesday will be the beginning of a period of not-so-nice weather - by we have tried to make full use of the beautiful last few days.

Here's hoping it remains good for the WoW trip to Bempton Cliffs. I wish very much I was going with them but it would just be too far for me in the one day, even though I was offered a lift. Looking at their photographs will be a recompense.

Picture 2 is of a bee between two poppies. There were lots of bees around and I got lucky, I hadn't actually waited for this moment, like a sports photographer does. Although the bee seems prominent it is in fact a heavy crop from an overall snap of the poppies.

Talking of photographs here are some of Pete B's Isle of Man TT pictures. Thanks Pete ! They are great and just what our readers want.

I know that you personally aren't a keen bike-fan and your pictures are therefore even more appreciated.

My responses to your comments

Roy .... You need have no fear of my disrupting normal WoW-navigation processes. I shall remain more than happy to be a follower. The route post-mortems are all part of the fun anyway.

The Caravan Club Sat'Nav advice seems sensible. Having been a caravanner I well remember the problems of a long rig and narrow lanes.

Little Basil will be fine with a diet of plain water whilst on holiday. Maybe a little Baby-Bio or something as a restorative on your return. I don't feed mine as such, but maybe give them a little, if I remember whilst feeding other house-plants. Perhaps twice a year ! It's not critical though.

Bob ...... Re tomatoes. David's Helen reared the plants and very healthy they are too. The variety is Gardeners Delight.

Re parafin and blackberry control. Do you spray the brambles with it, or set fire to them ?

jbw..... I am intrigued by the need, when map-reading, to visualise in three dimensions. Surely two is plenty, unless you are in the habit of taking off and flying up tall buildings for instance.

Re GCEs - In Ashbourne we were under the Joint Matriculation Boad. A hangover presumably from School Certificate days which only ended the year before I took mine.

Yvonne ..... The only thing I remember clearly from 'O' level Geography is what causes 'rift' valleys.

Reg .... At The Hayley Leisure Centre it seems that little or no notice is taken of the membership's views.

It will be interesting to learn what Bob's view is of the effect of lanes on useable pool area. If actual ropes are used it must imply that you can't have more people using the pool than there are lanes available. Not a good idea at all in a 'leisure' pool I would have thought.

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Quotation time .....

"No man drowns if he perseveres in praying to God, and can swim."

Russian Proverb

Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow

Yaris plus Garmin - irresistable - 71F - 9mph NE wind

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An opening shot especially for Y. Dry-stone walling, a stone gate-post, and a field full of this year's amazing buttercups. 2009 has certainly been 'The year of the Yellow Flower'. Firstly the daffodils were good, then the dandelions were unusually good, and now the buttercups are outstanding. In Derbyshire at least, there are rolling fields full of them. And such a pleasant yellow too, much better than rape.

Our destination was Carsington Water and the Sat/Nav took us via Wirksworth - not the way I would have gone - but an excellent route, lots of narrow country lanes with grass growing in the middle. The above shot was from our first coffee-stop.

We had a great time at Carsington. A good place to be - plenty of different interests. Next time we've promised ourselves we'll hire a rowing-boat or an unflatable. Lets just hope the current blog-thread about 'capsize' doesn't prove an omen.

Just before you get to the nearest bird-hide is a carefully nurtured pond with a bridge over and I noticed several blue dragonflies darting about. My Collins Wildlife book allowed me to identify them as Common Blue Damselflies. The snap is the pick of a not very good bunch, all the rest are already in the recycle bin.

A knowledgeable? bystander told me they were laying eggs.

I know nothing about the habits of dragonflies, so I am more than willing to yield the description if anyone knows better.

Another picnic was enjoyed. A flask of coffee of course, but we took some lemonade, some filled cobs, and a selection of fruit. We ate it looking over the water - always attractive to English people. The urban myth is that it stems from our history as a maritime nation.

Last night, thanks to iPlayer we watched Ian Hislop's 'The Changing of the Bard' on BBC 4. The programme was about the Poets Laureate, since Dryden, all the way through to Carol Ann Duffy. We both love his 'impish' sense of humour. Andrew Motion came over very well again.

If you don't fancy actually watching the programme (which is what I have linked you to) click here for some text about it.

My responses to your previous comments

Bob .... Yeah we know all that. What we wanted from you was something that links 'capsize' to a boat overturning. How can it possibly have anything to do with 'cap' or 'size'.

I'm sure your tomatoes will be fine. A resilient species. On one of ours we actually have a tiny little truss already.

Reg .... I will indeed give the Sat/Nav a test (to your house) a week on Wednesday probably. Incidentally my very best wishes go with you all to Bempton Cliffs and I also know that you are aware why I feel it would be too much for me.

Re Hayley. My guess is that the admission of the under 18s won't much affect the 'offpeak members' - except of course for School Holidays.

You are probably right about the 'sneaky' way they are using the alleged results of a vote to support a change that they had decided on anyway.

jbw ..... Thanks very much for the Sat/Nav info. And also for the further particulars in your e-mail. Your point about their value after dark is first-class.

I must research the matter of 'Landmarks'. On the device itself is a 'help' page with loads of info. therein. Always worth scrutinising 'help' pages, in my experience. It's the same with 'right-click' menus. Folks don't realise what a wealth of info is there at their fingertips.

Yvonne ..... It sounds as if you got Hayley membership just right. Trust you.

They obviously need to raise more money and the under 18s is just one method. Lets hope it doesn't spoil it for you, or for Reg and Maureen for that matter.

We agree 100% about our Sat/Nav. Good fun. The loud 'bleeping' when in a speed-restriction area with cameras, is a bit irksome. But better that than a speeding ticket I suppose.

It seems we have a lot to learn yet. But it's going to be an attractive 'learning-curve' not a niggly one.

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Quotation time ........

"The poppy opes her scarlet purse of dreams"

Scharmel Iris

Strange poet. Strange chap. He probably talked to his Sat/Nav.

Just an excuse to use a Bob poppy picture as an endpiece


Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow
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